SECURITY (2017) ***

Antonio Banderas stars as a soldier who comes home from war to be confronted by an unreceptive job market.  Desperate for work, he takes a job as a mall security guard.  His first night on patrol, it immediately becomes apparent that his co-workers are woefully ill-equipped for the job, but that’s okay, because nothing ever happens at the mall, right?

Of course, a little girl comes banging on the door looking for help.  You see, Ben Kingsley wants her dead and…

Yes, folks, THAT Ben Kingsley.  

Anyway, Antonio protects the girl and refuses to give her up.  Since Ben is the head of an elite assassination team whose assignment is to silence the kid so she can’t testify for his client, a standoff ensues.  Once his men infiltrate the building, it’s up to Antonio to rally the troops in order to survive the night.  

Wouldn’t you know it?  The security team isn’t allowed to carry guns, so the only weapons they have are pepper spray and tasers.  That might work against your average shoplifter, but what’s it going to do to a trigger-happy hit squad?  That means Antonio and his crew have to salvage what they can from the various stores to create their own makeshift weapons to protect the little girl until the police arrive on the scene.  

Look, Security isn’t going to win any awards.  Casual viewers are likely to skip right over it.  It probably won’t even get a look from Banderas fans thanks to the generic poster.  That’s a shame too because even if it isn’t a Grade A thriller or anything, it’s a lean, mean, efficient little picture that moves along at a crackling pace.    

Banderas takes his PTSD-addled character seriously, but the movie itself is anything but.  It’s ridiculous, a tad cheesy, and a lot of fun.  The scenes of Banderas taking control of his team of unarmed Paul Blarts, whipping them into shape, and prepping the mall with Home Alone-style traps is a hoot.  Kingsley is clearly having fun and turns what could’ve been a standard issue villain into something offbeat and memorable.  

Some of the action scenes are kind of dark, but at least the camerawork isn’t shaky.  Other than that, Security is a pleasant and diverting old school action flick.  Action fans looking for a night of undemanding fun are pretty much guaranteed to have a blast with it.